Carpenter, who is dealing with a muscle strain in the back of his right shoulder, ends the season with four appearances, three starts, covering 15 1/3 innings. He has pitched in five Major League games since the end of the 2006 World Series."

4thebirds...... Matthew Leach stays on top of the status regarding former Cardinals' ace Chris Carpenter, detailing the hurlers' "shutdown" for the 2008 season.